International Cooperation

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Promoting Cleaner Fuels and Vehicles Worldwide

Today, transportation demand is growing rapidly in developing countries. This, combined with rising personal vehicle ownership, is causing significant impacts on urban air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. For example, transport is potentially one of the biggest sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) and particulate matter pollution, especially in cities.

Outdoor air pollution in the form of fine particles contrinbutes annually to over 3.2 million premature deaths worldwide and now ranks among the top global health risk burdens. [reference: Lim, et. al., Global Burden of Disease Study 2010, Lancet, Vol 380 December 15/22/29]

To address these issues, the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV) promotes cleaner fuels and vehicles in developing and transition countries. Specifically, PCFV works toward the global elimination of lead in gasoline and the phase down of sulfur in diesel fuel to 50 parts per million (ppm), and promotes the introduction of cleaner, more efficient vehicles.

For all countries to have access to fuel with 50 ppm sulfur. For comparison, the United States uses 15 ppm sulfur diesel fuel; most developing countries offer fuels that are much higher in sulfur content. View map displaying countries using sulfur in diesel, courtesy of PCFV.

To promote the introduction of cleaner, more efficient vehicles. Over 20 developing countries have currently committed to adoption of vehicle emission standards, as well as mandatory requirements for catalytic convertors and basic vehicle import standards, such as restrictions on the age of used vehicles.

Evaluations, Tools and Outcomes from PCFV’s Work

EPA is working through the PCFV to enable the production of cleaner fuels in Indonesia. Since 2010, EPA has worked with Indonesia to develop cost-benefit analyses to promote government fiscal policies, to create and foster dialogue amongst a cross-government and industry stakeholders group, and to engage the government-owned petroleum company Pertamina.

As a result of this work, Indonesia now has proposed a plan to introduce low sulfur fuels that meet the PCFV target of 50 ppm by 2016.

In December 2014, with EPA’s support through the PCFV, Indonesia held a national workshop with stakeholders from all relevant government agencies and sectors, as well as international experts, to discuss the proposed plan and other policies to promote cleaner and more efficient vehicles. EPA participated via videoconference.

Since the launch of the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles Lead Campaign in 2002, nearly all of the 100-plus countries using leaded fuel at that time have eliminated lead from their fuel supplies. The six countries that have yet to eliminate lead from fuel are expected to do so in the coming years. As a result, the Lead Campaign for the PCFV is considered to have been successfully completed. In follow up to this success, EPA sponsored a third party evaluation in 2011 to identify and examine lessons and design principles for successful partnership that may apply to other existing or future international partnerships.

The evaluation focused on the Lead Campaign’s startup and design, implementation, and insights that could inform other partnership efforts. This evaluation did not focus on the benefits of eliminating lead from fuel or the success of PCFV in the elimination of leaded fuel, topics which have been studied previously in evaluations and reports from other organizations ( including UNEP and the European Commission).

Findings

PCFV Lead Campaign Startup and Design

The evaluators found four factors which supported a strong start and successful implementation of the Campaign:

1.preceding developments, such as known public health impacts for lead and existing momentum for change;

Relevance of Findings on Lead Campaign to Other Voluntary Partnerships

The evaluation found that core Lead Campaign strengths could also serve other partnerships, and that there is an emerging set of voluntary partnership design principles for successful partnerships that are consistent with PCFV. The evaluators identified a set of emerging voluntary partnership design principles that are consistent with the Lead Campaign and PCFV more broadly, including the need to develop clear goals, build a strong core membership and thoughtfully design the partnership and utilize this process to engender buy-in and trust.

Key Documents

Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles: Evaluation of the Design and Implementation of the Lead Campaign

To support decision makers in clean fuels and vehicles, PCFV developed an online database of available data and information on global fuels and vehicles standards and other related parameters (such as planned refinery upgrades and vehicle import restrictions). This database provides searchable maps of the information, and allows the user to analyze the data and generate reports.